Dan Epstein: In Sonny you play Carol a prostitute that is working for Sonny's mother. Are you looking for roles to shock?
Mena Suvari: Well I like to do things that interest me. That just happens to be really dark roles. I like to show different sides to me. My personality is like that. There are all kinds of things I do in my life. I don't think I could do like the same thing over and over again.
DE: How was it working for an actor/director rather than just a director?
MS: It wasn't such a key issue for me. I loved working with Nick [Cage]. I think he's just a great guy overall. From him coming from that background I just think it was great. It helped him in a way that he understood what we were going through. In moments of intense emotion he let us have the freedom and space we needed. It wasn't so much about him caring about his needs and getting what he needed but rather focused on making us comfortable. I think it was important to feel that you could suggest anything.
James [Franco] had been in New Orleans for a few weeks before I came out. We all had a nice dinner in the French quarter. We all met with each other and did a little rehearsal.
DE: Was that your first time in the quarter?
MS: Yes it was but I didn't take a tour or anything [laughs]. I like New Orleans it's got a lot of energy. It's very beautiful then other parts are very seedy and scary at night. There's a lot of history there with the whole integration of different cultures. At the time of shooting it was Mardi Gras, then it was Super Bowl. It was just one parade after the next. It was crazy.
DE: Did you go to Mardi Gras at all?
MS: No but Nick was Krewe of Bacchus [a 30-float procession during the parade]. That was a big deal.
DE: What intrigued you about the character of Carol?
MS: Everything about the story. I loved that it was a period film of 1981 and my character is from Arkansas. I loved the hair and makeup design. I just think that it's great to have characters that are so different. It shows this side of life that people don't really see. The relationship that Carol develops with Sonny and what she sees in him. The whole sadness of trying to escape that life, I just found it so beautiful and touching. It's just an emotional piece.
DE: Did you find what might draw people to that life?
MS: Well I didn't go meet people in that field. James talked to a lot of male prostitutes. I honestly can't say because it's not my experience and I don't think it's my right to say what makes people end up in that life. I think in the case of this movie it's really sad because you feel bad for them. Sonny's mother got him into it at the age of 12. That's just so outlandish. I think things like that really do happen.
DE: Everyone is saying James Franco is the next big star.
MS: All I can say is that James is great. He was so passionate about this film. He was wonderful to work with.
DE: How about Brenda Blethyn?
MS: Amazing. She's so sweet and very humble. She worked so hard on her accent. She kept asking if she got it right. We had a lot of fun together. Everybody just had a great time on this film.
DE: What's your most fond memory of shooting this?
MS: Playing poker with Nick's hair and makeup people. We got really close. There was this beautiful house Nick got that we worked out of.
DE: Are they doing a third American Pie movie?
MS: I think they are but I haven't gotten anything.
DE: Do you want to complete the trilogy?
MS: I tend to think that once you go that far you're kind of running out of ideas. I'm curious to see what they come up with.
DE: Thanks Mena
Mena Suvari: Well I like to do things that interest me. That just happens to be really dark roles. I like to show different sides to me. My personality is like that. There are all kinds of things I do in my life. I don't think I could do like the same thing over and over again.
DE: How was it working for an actor/director rather than just a director?
MS: It wasn't such a key issue for me. I loved working with Nick [Cage]. I think he's just a great guy overall. From him coming from that background I just think it was great. It helped him in a way that he understood what we were going through. In moments of intense emotion he let us have the freedom and space we needed. It wasn't so much about him caring about his needs and getting what he needed but rather focused on making us comfortable. I think it was important to feel that you could suggest anything.
James [Franco] had been in New Orleans for a few weeks before I came out. We all had a nice dinner in the French quarter. We all met with each other and did a little rehearsal.
DE: Was that your first time in the quarter?
MS: Yes it was but I didn't take a tour or anything [laughs]. I like New Orleans it's got a lot of energy. It's very beautiful then other parts are very seedy and scary at night. There's a lot of history there with the whole integration of different cultures. At the time of shooting it was Mardi Gras, then it was Super Bowl. It was just one parade after the next. It was crazy.
DE: Did you go to Mardi Gras at all?
MS: No but Nick was Krewe of Bacchus [a 30-float procession during the parade]. That was a big deal.
DE: What intrigued you about the character of Carol?
MS: Everything about the story. I loved that it was a period film of 1981 and my character is from Arkansas. I loved the hair and makeup design. I just think that it's great to have characters that are so different. It shows this side of life that people don't really see. The relationship that Carol develops with Sonny and what she sees in him. The whole sadness of trying to escape that life, I just found it so beautiful and touching. It's just an emotional piece.
DE: Did you find what might draw people to that life?
MS: Well I didn't go meet people in that field. James talked to a lot of male prostitutes. I honestly can't say because it's not my experience and I don't think it's my right to say what makes people end up in that life. I think in the case of this movie it's really sad because you feel bad for them. Sonny's mother got him into it at the age of 12. That's just so outlandish. I think things like that really do happen.
DE: Everyone is saying James Franco is the next big star.
MS: All I can say is that James is great. He was so passionate about this film. He was wonderful to work with.
DE: How about Brenda Blethyn?
MS: Amazing. She's so sweet and very humble. She worked so hard on her accent. She kept asking if she got it right. We had a lot of fun together. Everybody just had a great time on this film.
DE: What's your most fond memory of shooting this?
MS: Playing poker with Nick's hair and makeup people. We got really close. There was this beautiful house Nick got that we worked out of.
DE: Are they doing a third American Pie movie?
MS: I think they are but I haven't gotten anything.
DE: Do you want to complete the trilogy?
MS: I tend to think that once you go that far you're kind of running out of ideas. I'm curious to see what they come up with.
DE: Thanks Mena
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